Bucket on while bus hogging?

I'll be transporting my JD 3520 With FEL and Frontier RC 1060 on my 18 foot trailer on Tuesday for a bushhogging job.

With the bucket attached the whole unit will fit on the trailer with the wheel of the cutter hanging over the front about 1.5-2 ft.
It doesnt cause a problem while turning I just like to have everything inside the trailer.

Bucket off I can fit the whole unit inside the trailer.

My question is do I need the bucket on for ballist and stability or am I ok without it.

I tend to think I would need it on but this is my first job away from home with the RC. There is a slope on the property that I need to really study before I venture out. The whole area is on a commercial property and the slope comes of the parking lot and then flattens out.

I wouldn't give this slope a second thought with the JD 4010 but I know these CUT's are tippy so I'm being extra careful.

I'm cutting the lawn there tomorrow and I think I'll go back there on the mower and check it out and get a feel for it.

Re: Bucket on while bushhogging?

Personally, if this is a new job, I would do what you can to have the bucket on. The bucket could be kept low to hit objects before the cutter does. If there is a wet area, you can use the curl to get unstuck. Can you put the bucket in the back of the truck?

The "get a bigger tractor" people are destroying what TBN was, a friendly forum... now it's IF YOU DON"T DO AS I SAY!!!! or WHY ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME!!! Get over it, it's just your opinion... a small tractor is just fine!!! (Zipping up my flame suit!!!)

Re: Bucket on while bus hogging?

Just personal preference but I keep my bucket on for several reasons. One - it helps offset the weight of my cutter on the back and takes a little of the bounce out when cutting at speed, two - in unfamiliar territory I'll roll the bucket back all the way and lower it pretty close to the ground to find potentially hazardous items before I run over them, three - you've got a handy place to throw those potentially hazardous items/rocks etc. if you so desire to rid the place of them as you go. I also find that with the bucket low to the ground it helps a little with the center of gravity when doing inclines on my tractor, especially helpful when using 4 wheel drive with that extra weight on the front wheels too. Now the bucket could be a hinderance to you if you're not used to cutting close to things with it on, especially in new territory and it does cut your visibility slightly so it may not suit you to have it on. You'll just have to weight the options and go for it !!

Re: Bucket on while bus hogging?

Originally Posted by whistlepig

If you are mowing a slope your tractor will be a lot less top heavy with the loader off. Loader mounts are above the axle.

I don't know if this is the whole story. Where the loader attaches to the tractor is not as important as where the bucket and any load in the bucket is positioned. The attachment point is just the fulcrum point for the load of the loader bucket and arms. Lower the bucket down and the tractors COG moves forward and down. raise it up high and the COG moves higher and to the rear. Running with a loader bucket just above the ground should add net weight to the front of the tractor and give it a COG (center of gravity) that is lower and forward of where it would be with the loader off the machine.

Re: Bucket on while bus hogging?

Originally Posted by vtsnowedin

I don't know if this is the whole story. Where the loader attaches to the tractor is not as important as where the bucket and any load in the bucket is positioned. The attachment point is just the fulcrum point for the load of the loader bucket and arms. Lower the bucket down and the tractors COG moves forward and down. raise it up high and the COG moves higher and to the rear. Running with a loader bucket just above the ground should add net weight to the front of the tractor and give it a COG (center of gravity) that is lower and forward of where it would be with the loader off the machine.

With all due respect it just doesn't work that way. Fulcrum point has nothing to do with it. Weight above the axle is weight above the axle.